Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
More from Rachael Tonks
The Edge of Forever Rachael Tonks 2017
Editor: Jenny Sims at Editing 4 Indies
Cover Design: Crimson Pheonix Creations
Proofreaders: Michelle Mckenzie & Nikki Ash
Interior Formatting: That Formatting Lady
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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All rights reserved.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
More from Rachael Tonks
Ryder
I fucking did it. I won the fight.
“Damn, you’re a machine!” Marco yells over the crowd as I make my way from the ring and back to the makeshift dressing room. My body shakes, and every muscle in my body fucking kills.
“It was fucking hard, man. He was a tough opponent.”
“I never had any doubt you would win.” Marco throws his arm around my shoulder. “You totally dominated him.”
“Where’s Jax?” I crane my sore neck, looking back at the crowd. “Where the fuck is Kailee?” I ask, my voice growing taut as the anxiety grows. “I didn’t see either one of them, man.”
“Me either,” shrugs Marco. “They’re here, though, right?”
“Yeah,” I snap unintentionally. “We all arrived together.” I let out a growl of frustration. Something about this doesn’t feel right. I pick up my speed, pushing open the door to the small room where I have my stuff stashed. I grab a fresh towel, removing all the excess sweat from my body. My heart hammers in my chest as I rush to change.
“Hey, man,” Marco peeks around the door. “I’m sure they are here somewhere. Don’t fucking stress.”
“You’re right,” I say, rubbing the towel against the nape of my neck. I desperately need to relieve some of this goddamn tension.
“I’ll get my men on it,” he says, flopping his hand toward me. I smile but shake my head too.
He has his phone against his ear before I can even respond. Marco is clever. He never leaves his house without his men by his side. He paces in front of me while I change out of my sweaty clothes. My chest still heaves as I try to steady my breathing.
He grunts down the phone then he slowly turns on the spot, his eyes narrowing on me.
“Security says that both Jax and Eric left before the fight started. No sign of the girl.”
“What the fuck,” I growl, my hands tensing as I hold them rigidly by my side.
“I know. I know,” he says with a step back, hands held up in the air. His eyes drop to the floor as if he’s thinking. He taps the cell phone against his hand.
“Maybe she’s still here…” his words trail off. He holds the phone to his ear; his hums and grunts continue.
“Right. So she must be here.” He sighs then looks pointedly at me, widening his eyes. “She has to be here,” he says, matter-of-factly. “She hasn’t left the premises.”
“Get him on the phone,” I order.
“Who?” he quizzes. “If you’re talking about Jax, I already tried him.”
“Fuck,” I growl, letting out an audible sign of my frustration. My mind is pounding as I try to figure out what the fuck is going on. “This makes no fucking sense at all. He should never have brought her here.”
“I have my men searching for her. If she’s here, we’ll find her.” He rests his hand on my shoulder, giving me his promise.
“I have to do something,” I say, rushing toward the door and dragging it open with force. The thought of anything happening to her cuts into me like a motherfucking blunt knife. How could I let this happen? I look over my shoulder for a second. “Get my money. Meet me out front in fifteen minutes.”
I step out, forcing my way through the crowd that screams and cheers for the fighters in the ring. I rush through, my eyes frantically scanning the room for signs of either Kailee or Jax.
I check the corridors, the empty rooms, and the makeshift restrooms, but there’s no sign of either of them. With every second, my anxiety grows. The more my anxiety grows, the harder it is to control the rage I feel growing deep in the pit of my stomach. I feel uneasy about this whole fucking thing. You don’t leave a girl like Kailee here. Scrap that. You don’t bring a girl like Kailee to somewhere like this. Fucking Jax. I exhale heavily.
I race out of the entrance, allowing the metal door to slam behind me. I see Marco’s blond hair as I look over at a group of guys standing just a few feet away.
“Ryder,” he yells at me, signaling with his hand for me to come over. I reach into my pocket and pull out my cigarettes, desperate for something to help calm me because right now, I’m like a fucking bomb waiting to explode. I take a drag on the cigarette and don’t stop until I feel the hit I’m looking for. I close my eyes, letting my head drop back as I exhale the smoke.
“Dude, she’s not here. The guys have searched every fucking inch of this place.”
“So she left with Jax and Eric. Maybe she was sick or something,” I say in a calmer voice.
“No Ry, she definitely didn’t leave with them. I’ve had them check the surveillance camera footage. No sign of her.”
“The fuck…” I cut off midsentence. “We need to find out what’s going on. But first, I need to find my brother.”
“Then let’s go,” Marco sings, pushing his wide framed glasses up his nose with his index finger.
Kailee
Taking in sharp breaths, I suck in the material covering my head. I’m in total darkness, and I’m fairly sure I’ve been unconscious. I try to move my stiffened body, to feel around me, but I can’t. The binding around my wrists is wrapped so tightly I can barely move them. The thick rope feels like it’s cutting my skin every time I move. I feel the pain in my chest as it tightens; my breathing becomes erratic, and I’m not sure what the hell to do. I close my eyes tightly, counting slowly to steady my breathing and the thoughts in my mind. One, two, th
ree… but I’m thrust against something hard as the motion of what must be some sort of vehicle throws me back like some rag doll. I’m in a car. I try to listen beyond the sound of the tires humming against the ground, but it’s useless. The humming and thudding are the only sounds I can make out. Where the fuck are they taking me? Tears sting my already sore eyes. I suck in my bottom lip, biting it in a poor attempt to fight back the emotion. But I can’t. I’m scared. Terrified that something bad will happen. Only, I have no idea what.
All I can do is wait.
Wait for the evil to reveal itself.
And that’s exactly what I do. I clear my mind, concentrating only on counting.
“Ten thousand and one, ten thousand and two…”
That’s the number I get to when the car suddenly stops. I lift my head a little, turning it in hopes to hear something. I have to take in everything. My surroundings, my captor, my location. It’s the only way.
I freeze at the sound of a door opening. Despite having something covering my head, it’s suddenly become much lighter. I still can’t see beyond whatever is over my head, but the light, I can see. Part of me contemplates screaming and shouting, but the scared, seventeen-year-old in me tells me to keep quiet.
Hands land on me heavily, dragging me from the vehicle. My head whips back and forth frantically.
“Take her in,” bellows a gruff voice I don’t recognize. “We need her cleaned up and ready for show time. Be gentle; I don’t want her marked any more than she already is.”
My feet don’t even touch the ground. I’m lifted and carried a short distance. I try to wiggle free, but it’s no use. I’m weak and sore, and I’m no match for the hands that carry me.
“W-w-where am I?” I croak out, a sob catching in my throat. I remind myself to stay strong and not to let my emotion control me. I need to be in control, however bad the situation.
Whoever is carrying me doesn’t answer, but they laugh. A low, menacing laugh and it makes me sick to my stomach. Whatever is going on here, they think it’s funny.
The sound of their footsteps against the floor matches the sound of my thudding heart; I’m just not sure which is loudest. Right now, all I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat.
“This one,” the voice instructs as I’m pulled in another direction. All a sudden, we stop, and I’m placed on some sort of seat. My mind races at a thousand miles an hour, trying to anticipate what will happen next. Where the hell am I? And what am I doing here?
The binding around my wrists loosens. The material over my head moves. Someone is removing it, but the brightness of the light is too much. It stings so bad, causing me to lift my arm, using it to cover my eyes. I slowly move my arm, allowing a small amount of light to flood my sensitive eyes. I blink rapidly, hoping and praying my eyes will adjust quickly. I need to see where I am. Study my surroundings. I have to try to be one step ahead.
Finally, as my eyes adjust, I see two men in front of me. They stand in front of the door with their legs apart and hands clutched together in front of them. Slowly, I remove my arm, reaching down and rubbing my wrists. They are sore and red from the ropes.
“Where am I?” I ask as calmly as my voice will allow. My throat is dry and sore, and talking now appears painful.
“Your location is irrelevant,” drones the female voice from behind me. I turn, surprised by her presence. She stands with her back to me, and she’s moving things around on what looks like a dressing table.
“Who the hell are you?” I shriek. “I seriously need to get some answers.” I straighten myself, turning and glaring at the two guys in front of me. “Well,” I screech. “Where the fuck am I? What do you want with me?” I rub my throat in a circular motion, desperate to relieve the pain. I want to stand, and I have nothing stopping me, but I feel weak. I have no energy, and my body aches.
I glare at the guys. If looks could kill, these two would be gone by now. But they don’t speak.
“I’m here to do a job. To make you look as pretty as possible,” the woman drones.
“So you bound me, threw me in the trunk of a car, and brought me here, just so you can give me some ridiculous sort of makeover?”
“You need to bring a high price. You are our star attraction for the night,” she continues, making no sense at all.
“Attraction? What the fuck are you talking about?”
I feel the sick sting the back of my throat. High price? Attraction? What the hell is she talking about?
“What exactly are you expecting me to do?” I ask, swallowing the bile trying to force its way up.
“Absolutely nothing,” she murmurs, finally turning. Her straight black shiny hair, styled in a bob, frames her attractive face. She has beautiful olive skin and full lips that seem to twist at the corner as she takes me in. Stepping forward slightly, she reaches out to me. I flinch, moving my head back as far as I can. But she doesn’t stop. She grasps my chin, forcing me to look at her. “Well, you’re quite the pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
I try to snap my chin from her hold, but she tightens her fingers.
“There’s no point in resisting, Kailee.” She runs her long, bright red nail down the side of my face.
“Yes, you are quite a rarity. We don’t get many like you.” Her eyes drift from my face as she takes in the rest of my body. “Such a shame,” she says with a lift of her brow.
“What is?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at the strange women.
“That you will be sold to the highest bidder. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have liked a taste myself.”
“Sold?” I yelp. “You can’t sell me.” My voice is now full of panic. “I’m not a goddamn car. I’m a fucking human being.” I find the strength to stand from my seat despite every part of me shaking uncontrollably. Not sure what to do, or if there’s anywhere to go, but I push past the two guys standing in front of the door, screaming, and banging my hand against the metal door.
“Where are they?” I twist my neck, my eyes landing on the women whose name I don’t know.
“Who?” she asks calmly.
“Jax and Eric. The assholes who made this happen.”
“They’re not here. But they will be.” She smiles widely. “Don’t worry; you’ll be able to say goodbye to lover boy.”
My legs give way, and my body collapses to the floor as I bend over, sobbing hysterically. This is it. The end of my life as I know it.
Ryder
If anything happens to her, I will kill the fuckers responsible with my bare hands. Marco’s driver speeds to get us to the trailer park as fast as fucking possible.
“This whole thing is fucking with my head, man.” I sigh heavily. I tap my leg repeatedly, anxiety getting the better of me. “I need you to be straight with me, Marco. If you know something, I swear to God, you have to tell me. Henchmen, or no fucking henchmen, I’ll rip you from limb to limb if I learn you have anything to do with this.”
He might be helping me, but I don’t doubt for a motherfucking second that he’d screw me over in a heartbeat.
“Ryder, man. You have my word. I am just as in the dark as you are.” I glance over my shoulder at him sitting in the back seat. My eyes land on him, darkening with an unspoken warning.
“I fucking mean it, bro,” I growl, letting him know that my threat isn’t an empty one.
He holds up both hands in mock surrender. “I never doubt you, Ryder. You’re a man of your word. Give me the same courtesy, will you?”
“I trust no one, not even that fucking brother of mine,” I say, flaring my nostrils. It’s true. Since he became secretly involved in Eric’s business, I’ve not been able to trust him. And I’m not gonna lie. It cuts deep. Too fucking deep. But what can I do?
“I’m gonna try Jax’s cell phone again.” Marco narrows his eyes, pouting his lips a little.
I lift my top lip, screwing up my face. “What the fuck is that look all about?” I ask.
“I have an idea. A really good idea. Now, listen. If
Jax’s cell phone is switched on, I can locate him. All I need is my laptop and about ten minutes.”
“You’re shitting me, right?” I breathe out heavily in disbelief.
“No, Ryder, I’m not.”
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier.”
“It just came to me, all right!” he snaps. “Jesus, if I pull this off, you’re going to owe me big time, you hear, big boy.” He winks at me, pulling out his tongue.
“Back the fuck up.” I chortle. “It ain’t happening. Not now, not ever.”
He shakes his head, pouting more than ever. “Humor me.” He flutters his eyelashes at me.
“You’re a crazy motherfucker.” I shake my head.
“Oh, come on, Ryder. You know you’ve been my guy crush since high school.”
“Not. Happening,” I say with a tone that tells him I’m serious. Marco is like a rabbit most of the time. He’ll fuck anything that moves and is openly bisexual. I couldn’t give a fuck, but he’s barking up the wrong tree with me.
He laughs loudly. “I’m just messing with you.” He dismisses me with a light wave of his hand. He pulls the phone from his ear. “Good news, my man. The cell is on. I need to get my laptop set up when we get to your trailer. Let’s get a locale on them!”
It’s not long before we’re pulling into the park. I crane my neck, trying to look around for any sign they might be here. But there isn’t any. No sign of the Honda Jax bought Kailee. Everything looks exactly as it was when we left. As soon as the car slows down, I thrust open the door, jumping out. I storm over to the trailer, yanking on the door handle. Locked.
I race over to Eric’s trailer next door. I pull on the handle. This one’s locked too.
“No sign?” Marco yells, two or three more cars pulling behind his huge Bentley.
I tilt my head a little. “Company?” I question with wide eyes.
Marco looks over his shoulder, trying to figure out what I’m talking about. “They’re my men. At ease.” He laughs.
The edge of forever: A Blackhearts twins novel (Book two) Page 1